BJP celebrates first anniversary of revocation of J-K's special status in Kashmir

Srinagar: The BJP’s Kashmir unit on Wednesday celebrated the first anniversary of the revocation of special status of Jammu and Kashmir and accused those protesting the constitutional changes of being sympathisers of the ISIS.

BJP leaders and workers unfurled the national flag at the party office and distributed sweets.

“We are celebrating the completion of one year of abrogation of Article 370 (provisions) and the positive changes that it brought in Jammu and Kashmir,” BJP leader Altaf Thakur told reporters at the party office in Jawahar Nagar here.

Thakur said the abrogation of Article 370 provisions of the Constitution, which accorded special status to Jammu and Kashmir, had brought about many positive changes and put an end to stone pelting in Kashmir.

“There used to be stone pelting during encounters that has stopped. There used to be ISIS flag, Pakistani flag…that has stopped. That is what we are celebrating,” he added.

On some political parties in Kashmir observing ”Black Day” on Wednesday, Thakur said they were sympathisers of the ISIS.

“Those who are in love with black are sympathisers of ISIS…. They should think what they are supporting,” he said.

Thakur said the abrogation of Article 370 last year was “the only operation in the history in which not a single bullet was fired, not a single stone was pelted”.

He said while the separatist stranglehold on Kashmir has been broken after August 5 last year, stalwarts of separatism like Syed Ali Shah Geelani have realised that Pakistan is only fuelling violence.

“It might be late but better late than never that even Geelani has realised that Pakistan is adopting use and throw policy with them. Pakistan is only interested in terrorism in Kashmir,” he added.